A Gift of Freedom
By Moony
She sat and wondered. 'Why?' it was the one person, the one who she never imagined. How odd. She sighed as she watched them in the garden. They had not noticed her. They usually did not. She watched him. He had saved her. He knew her more than anyone she ever met. He was laughing; he always seemed to be. The others were ignoring him. How could they? They were so mean to him and he had done so much, been through some much. She wanted to call him and tell him to come and make her laugh. She would appreciate it, but she did not she knew that was where he belonged. She saw that he did make Quatre laugh. It would be lovely to see the others smile. They all had had horrible lives. That was why they were so close to one another. She decided to pay them a visit. She would not stay long. They did not like her presents. She walked down to the garden, but stopped at the bench where he had told her how important things really were. She smiled. She was still hurting. She did not expect it to stop, but she felt she could live through it until happier times. She picked a rose. It pricked her finger. She put it in her mouth. It was bleeding. She pulled it out and looked at it. It would be fine. She walked back to her room. She had decided better of going and seeing the men. The rose had taught her something. It was beautiful to look at, but when you touch it, it will hurt. She went back on her balcony. She saw them. Now he was trying to do flips. She smiled. He was such a pleasant person. Why hadn't she noticed how wonderful he was before? She wanted to talk to him. She wanted him to make her laugh and feel better about herself. She sat down on the balcony and looked at them threw the bars. She felt like she was in a prison. She wanted to get out. She sighed, but it was a little loud. One of them stopped reading and looked up at her. His Persian eyes looked deep into hers. She stood up and went back into her room. She felt that was him telling her she was not welcomed. She looked deep into her own eyes in the mirror. What did people see in these eyes that was so important? She walked back into her room and changed. She was going out. She would have to sneak out of course, but that would be simple. She pulled her hair up completely and put on a wig. She was now a brunet. She wore jeans and a pink T-shirt. She stepped out of her room a new person. She quickly ran down the hall. She saw the door. 'Freedom.' Was her only thought. She opened the door and stepped into the garden. She passed as quickly as possible, but she heard a voice. She turned around and saw the caring sweet blond that she always loved.
"Hello," he said kindly. "I've never seen you here before."
"Oh, well that's because I don't come round her much," the brunet said in a fake accent. He did not notice it.
"Well, then come again. Good bye," the gentleman said and walked away. She sighed relived and went on to the gates. She pressed it open and quickly got out. The kingdom was just a little while away now. She smiled. She had done it. She was so proud. She was free. She ran down the street. She finally reached the town. She saw the buildings and the bustling people and she just could help her heart leaping with joy. She was going to do so much today before she went back. She was going to have fun. She ran down to the ice cream shop and bought a cone. It was delicious. She shopped and bought everyone a gift. For Quatre, a new gold watch. For Wufei, a sun ornament. For Trowa, a clown doll. For Heero a book about two very different people, Pride and Predigest. For Duo, she had to think. What would she get her angel? She walked and looked, but could not find anything. She heard a church bell ring six times. It was time to go home. She turned ashamed that she hadn't got Duo a present yet when a homeless old woman with a basket came up to her.
"Buy a rose?" the woman asked. She smiled. That would be perfect.
"Yes," She replied and took out her billfold. She pulled out the biggest bill she could find. The woman handed her a rose. She handed the woman the bill. "Keep the change," she smiled and walked away. The old woman's eyes filled with joyful tears.
"Thank you," the old one whispered and walked away. She returned home. She got to her room unseen and took off the wig. She was the princess again. She brushed her hair, put back on her clothes, and headed down, with her presents, to dinner. There they were just as they had been that morning.
"And what did you do today?" Quatre asked.
"Had the time of my life," She smiled and glanced at Duo. "I have something for all of you." She pulled out a box and handed it to Quatre. He opened it.
"Wow," he whispered. "Thank you." She pulled out another with a grin on her face and handed it to Trowa. He opened it and looked at the doll for a while.
"Thank you, Relena," he said softly. She pulled out Wufei's present. She handed it to him. He was reluctant, but took it. He opened it and looked at it.
"It's to show your courage and honor," she explained. She saw a twitch on his lips. She pulled out another box. She handed it to Heero. He opened it and looked.
"Read it. I find the book to be one of my favorites and I know you like to read. Enjoy it," She smiled. He gave no answer. "Now for you Duo this is something only you and I will understand. I got this," she pulled out a white rose. "It stands for friendship and love." She gave it to him. He smiled and took it.
"Thank you Relena," he said.
"What brought all this about and how did you get these?" Trowa asked.
"I felt I needed to show all of you my appreciation for being my friends. Thank you for that gift."
"The only gift I could repay you with would be the gift of freedom, but it seems you've already acquired that as well," Heero said and touched the book. She was a little started. He had known she left.
"Some times, Heero. The best gifts are the ones you give yourself," She replied. "But you have not given yourself that gift yet. All of you feel ashamed for the bloodshed you have caused or the family you could not save. It is time to give yourselves freedom. That is what your families would want. Now, I think it is time for all of us to retire and dwell on today. Thank you for your friendship again. It is a treasure I will never be able to repay." She stood up and began to walk out.
"Relena," a voice said softly. She turned around not sure who it was. "How did you know we were suffering?" Duo asked.
"I can see it in your eyes," she smiled gently. "Let go of your torment and give yourselves the gift of freedom." All of them looked at each other.
"Freedom," Wufei whispered and twirled his sun. "Yes, freedom." Quatre said nothing, but then he smiled and a tear rolled down his cheek.
"Each one of those gifts represent your freedom. Give them back it that is not what you want, but if you do want it keep them and always remember when you look at them. You have been set free." She left the room. Heero opened the book and began reading.
By Moony
She sat and wondered. 'Why?' it was the one person, the one who she never imagined. How odd. She sighed as she watched them in the garden. They had not noticed her. They usually did not. She watched him. He had saved her. He knew her more than anyone she ever met. He was laughing; he always seemed to be. The others were ignoring him. How could they? They were so mean to him and he had done so much, been through some much. She wanted to call him and tell him to come and make her laugh. She would appreciate it, but she did not she knew that was where he belonged. She saw that he did make Quatre laugh. It would be lovely to see the others smile. They all had had horrible lives. That was why they were so close to one another. She decided to pay them a visit. She would not stay long. They did not like her presents. She walked down to the garden, but stopped at the bench where he had told her how important things really were. She smiled. She was still hurting. She did not expect it to stop, but she felt she could live through it until happier times. She picked a rose. It pricked her finger. She put it in her mouth. It was bleeding. She pulled it out and looked at it. It would be fine. She walked back to her room. She had decided better of going and seeing the men. The rose had taught her something. It was beautiful to look at, but when you touch it, it will hurt. She went back on her balcony. She saw them. Now he was trying to do flips. She smiled. He was such a pleasant person. Why hadn't she noticed how wonderful he was before? She wanted to talk to him. She wanted him to make her laugh and feel better about herself. She sat down on the balcony and looked at them threw the bars. She felt like she was in a prison. She wanted to get out. She sighed, but it was a little loud. One of them stopped reading and looked up at her. His Persian eyes looked deep into hers. She stood up and went back into her room. She felt that was him telling her she was not welcomed. She looked deep into her own eyes in the mirror. What did people see in these eyes that was so important? She walked back into her room and changed. She was going out. She would have to sneak out of course, but that would be simple. She pulled her hair up completely and put on a wig. She was now a brunet. She wore jeans and a pink T-shirt. She stepped out of her room a new person. She quickly ran down the hall. She saw the door. 'Freedom.' Was her only thought. She opened the door and stepped into the garden. She passed as quickly as possible, but she heard a voice. She turned around and saw the caring sweet blond that she always loved.
"Hello," he said kindly. "I've never seen you here before."
"Oh, well that's because I don't come round her much," the brunet said in a fake accent. He did not notice it.
"Well, then come again. Good bye," the gentleman said and walked away. She sighed relived and went on to the gates. She pressed it open and quickly got out. The kingdom was just a little while away now. She smiled. She had done it. She was so proud. She was free. She ran down the street. She finally reached the town. She saw the buildings and the bustling people and she just could help her heart leaping with joy. She was going to do so much today before she went back. She was going to have fun. She ran down to the ice cream shop and bought a cone. It was delicious. She shopped and bought everyone a gift. For Quatre, a new gold watch. For Wufei, a sun ornament. For Trowa, a clown doll. For Heero a book about two very different people, Pride and Predigest. For Duo, she had to think. What would she get her angel? She walked and looked, but could not find anything. She heard a church bell ring six times. It was time to go home. She turned ashamed that she hadn't got Duo a present yet when a homeless old woman with a basket came up to her.
"Buy a rose?" the woman asked. She smiled. That would be perfect.
"Yes," She replied and took out her billfold. She pulled out the biggest bill she could find. The woman handed her a rose. She handed the woman the bill. "Keep the change," she smiled and walked away. The old woman's eyes filled with joyful tears.
"Thank you," the old one whispered and walked away. She returned home. She got to her room unseen and took off the wig. She was the princess again. She brushed her hair, put back on her clothes, and headed down, with her presents, to dinner. There they were just as they had been that morning.
"And what did you do today?" Quatre asked.
"Had the time of my life," She smiled and glanced at Duo. "I have something for all of you." She pulled out a box and handed it to Quatre. He opened it.
"Wow," he whispered. "Thank you." She pulled out another with a grin on her face and handed it to Trowa. He opened it and looked at the doll for a while.
"Thank you, Relena," he said softly. She pulled out Wufei's present. She handed it to him. He was reluctant, but took it. He opened it and looked at it.
"It's to show your courage and honor," she explained. She saw a twitch on his lips. She pulled out another box. She handed it to Heero. He opened it and looked.
"Read it. I find the book to be one of my favorites and I know you like to read. Enjoy it," She smiled. He gave no answer. "Now for you Duo this is something only you and I will understand. I got this," she pulled out a white rose. "It stands for friendship and love." She gave it to him. He smiled and took it.
"Thank you Relena," he said.
"What brought all this about and how did you get these?" Trowa asked.
"I felt I needed to show all of you my appreciation for being my friends. Thank you for that gift."
"The only gift I could repay you with would be the gift of freedom, but it seems you've already acquired that as well," Heero said and touched the book. She was a little started. He had known she left.
"Some times, Heero. The best gifts are the ones you give yourself," She replied. "But you have not given yourself that gift yet. All of you feel ashamed for the bloodshed you have caused or the family you could not save. It is time to give yourselves freedom. That is what your families would want. Now, I think it is time for all of us to retire and dwell on today. Thank you for your friendship again. It is a treasure I will never be able to repay." She stood up and began to walk out.
"Relena," a voice said softly. She turned around not sure who it was. "How did you know we were suffering?" Duo asked.
"I can see it in your eyes," she smiled gently. "Let go of your torment and give yourselves the gift of freedom." All of them looked at each other.
"Freedom," Wufei whispered and twirled his sun. "Yes, freedom." Quatre said nothing, but then he smiled and a tear rolled down his cheek.
"Each one of those gifts represent your freedom. Give them back it that is not what you want, but if you do want it keep them and always remember when you look at them. You have been set free." She left the room. Heero opened the book and began reading.